In the 1850 US Federal Census for Mountain, Crawford, Arkansas, 46-year-old North Carolina-born farmer Alexander Nortin [sic] [transcribed as Nieters] and his 44-year-old North Carolina-born wife Betty [Elizabeth Dodd] Nordin have in their household their children, 16-year-old Letha, 13-year-old George, 6-year-old Barbara, 4-year-old Rebecka [sic] D, and 3-year-old James K P. Letha was born in Tennessee, but the rest of the children were born in Arkansas, showing that the family moved from Tennessee to Arkansas after 1834 but before 1837. Alexander owns no property of value. Alexander and Elizabeth are illiterate. None of the children have attended school in the past year.
In the 1860 US Federal Census for Upper, Crawford, Arkansas, 63-year-old [sic] North Carolina-born farmer Alx Norton [sic Alexander Nordin] owns $220 worth of real estate and $879 worth of personal property. He and his 54-year-old North Carolina-born wife Elizabeth [Dodd] Nortin [sic] have in their household their children, 30-year-old Tennessee-born widow, Mary J [Nordin] Townsend, 16-year-old Arkansas-born Drucilla [Rebecca in the 1850 Census] Nordin, 13-year-old Arkansas-born James K Nordin and 8-year-old Arkansas-born Andrew Nordin, and Mary Nordin Townsend's son 2-year-old Arkansas-born Thomas F Townsend. Alexander, Elizabeth and Mary are illiterate. None of the children have attended school in the past year.